Before you add resistance, speed, or complexity, you first need to teach and reinforce proper movement patterns.
Your first responsibility is to help participants move well. Strong movement patterns create the foundation for safe, effective training and long-term back health.
Use your Warm-Up as an opportunity to introduce and practice the key movements that will appear later in the class. This allows you to observe how participants move, identify changes early, and provide guidance before fatigue or load increases.
As you coach, focus on quality first. Watch how participants initiate movement, control their body through the range of motion, and transition between positions. Provide coaching to help participants adjust their movement before progressing intensity or adding resistance.
Movement Pattern: Squat
Exercise: Seated (sit-to-stand) or Standing Squat
- Proper pattern:
Initiate with a hip hinge. Keep the spine long and neutral, knees track over the toes, and control both lowering and rising phases. - What to watch for:
Rounding through the back, knees collapsing inward, or heavy reliance on the arms. - Possible contributing factors:
Lower body weakness, limited mobility, reduced balance confidence, or fear of falling. - How to adjust and progress:
Start with supported sit-to-stand or pressure squats using a chair.
Progress to bodyweight squats, then add light resistance once the pattern is consistent.
Movement Pattern: Hinge
Exercise: Seated or Standing Hip Hinge
- Proper pattern:
Hinge at the hips with a neutral spine, slight knee bend, and engaged core. Movement should feel smooth and controlled. - What to watch for:
Rounding through the spine instead of moving from the hips. - Possible contributing factors:
Tightness in the back of the legs, reduced body awareness, or limited core engagement. - How to adjust and progress:
Begin with seated or supported hinges.
Progress to standing with a smaller range, then increase depth or resistance as control improves.
Movement Pattern: Rotation
Exercise: Seated or Standing Trunk Rotation
- Proper pattern:
Smooth, controlled rotation through the upper body while the hips remain relatively stable. - What to watch for:
Fast or forced twisting, especially through the lower back. - Possible contributing factors:
Limited mobility, reduced control, or moving too quickly. - How to adjust and progress:
Start with small, seated rotations.
Progress to standing and add light resistance once control is demonstrated.
Movement Pattern: Reach
Exercise: Seated or Standing Overhead Reach
- Proper pattern:
Maintain a neutral spine with the rib cage down while reaching overhead. - What to watch for:
Overarching the lower back or excessive shoulder elevation. - Possible contributing factors:
Limited shoulder mobility, tight chest muscles, or reduced core engagement. - How to adjust and progress:
Use seated positions to reinforce alignment.
Progress to standing variations as posture and control improve.
Your Teaching Focus
As you coach movement patterns:
- Prioritize alignment and control before adding resistance
- Watch for compensation and adjust early
- Use regressions to build confidence and consistency
- Progress gradually once movement quality is established
When you establish strong movement patterns, you set the foundation for joint support, muscular endurance, strength, and dynamic movement.
In the next lesson, you’ll explore how mobility and stability influence movement and guide your programming decisions.